What Russians Talk About On Social Media
Date
3/21/2024 6:29:44 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times) The sudden death of Russian opposition figurehead Alexei Navalny in a prison camp in Russia's Arctic Circle on February 16 marked a significant moment in Russian public discourse. Navalny's demise led to a substantial increase in online discussion about someone other than Vladimir Putin.
There was a 14-fold rise in mentions of Navalny on social media as he temporarily outdid Vladimir Putin – something very rare and an indication of the public shock and concern his death had caused.
I wanted to find out to what extent Putin's presence on Russian social media compared to his dominance in broadcast media. I used a website called BrandAnalytics to collect daily data on the mentions of prominent public figures in Russia from February 15 to 27.
Since the Kremlin banned Meta from operating in Russia at the end of 2022, the social media landscape has been dominated by UAE-based platform Telegram as well as local Russian platforms including VKontakte and Odnoklassniki . Telegram's surge as the primary digital platform follows the migration of users from platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, which are restricted in Russia.
The graph below – which is generated from that data – clearly illustrates the overwhelming dominance of Vladimir Putin in the social media landscape. This dominance is maintained through a combination of state-controlled media, numerous government officials who frequently post content featuring him, and the assistance of bots designed to amplify mentions of his persona.
This ensures his pervasive presence in Russian public discourse, reflecting his extensive influence over the media landscape.
Daily mentions of the top 15 people on Russian social media:
Who is making the news? The top-15 people being talked about on social media in Russia. BrandAnalytics/KCL, Author provided (no reuse)
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